NewsHill letting performance do talking
Second baseman says he's fully over concussion
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com
04/10/09 5:35 PM ET
CLEVELAND -- Aaron Hill wants to let his play on the field do the talking. If the Blue Jays' first series of the year is any indication, people should start to realize that the second baseman is completely over the concussion that cost him most of last season.Even so, Hill is still approached often with questions about that frightening moment last May 29, when he tumbled to the grass in Oakland after being struck on the side of the head during a collision with then-Jays shortstop David Eckstein. It's still a popular subject, considering Hill's battle with headaches and dizzy spells in the months that followed.
If Hill finds such inquiries annoying, he doesn't show it, smiling politely and offering answers that will hopefully bring an end to the topic soon. Hill would like nothing more than for others to accept that he is back and healthy. So far this season, the second baseman has done his part in proving that point to Toronto fans.
"I know I'm fine. I know I feel great," Hill said Friday. "Obviously, people may have doubts, thinking some things may linger -- doctors or whoever it may be. I know I feel great, so I really don't care what other people are thinking. I know that I'm having fun.
"I know that I've worked hard to be where I'm at right now and I'm ready to play a full season, and to have a successful season."
Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston is hoping Hill's return can provide a lift to an offense that labored throughout last season. Gaston has slotted Hill in the second spot of the order but doesn't want the infielder to change his approach at the plate. Toronto's manager wants Hill to be the same type of offensive performer he's been in the past.
Hill's best season came in 2007, his third campaign with the Blue Jays. In 160 games that year, Hill hit .291 with 17 home runs, 47 doubles and 78 RBIs, and played stellar defense when he was in the field. After that showing, the Jays inked Hill to a contract extension that includes club options that could keep him north of the border through 2014.
Late last season, after an extended period away from baseball activities and numerous visits with concussion specialists, Hill began to feel more like himself. Gaston and the Blue Jays' decision-makers didn't want to rush the second baseman back onto the field, though.
"We were all worried about him last year," Gaston said. "I know that he wanted to try to come back last year. Every time I'd see him when he was around the team, he wanted to come and play. I told him, 'Hey, we want you back, but we want you back healthy. Take your time.'"
Hill, 27, eased into his usual offseason routine over the winter months and jumped right into things at the start of Spring Training. In 23 Grapefruit League games, Hill hit .283 with two home runs and nine RBIs in 60 at-bats. Hill said he never hesitated to make a tough play in the spring -- convinced that his concussion woes were behind him.
"There was one time where I could've ran over the catcher, I guess," Hill said with a laugh. "But, it's Spring Training. I don't think anyone in their right mind is going to run over a catcher in the spring. But, no, not at all. There's never any hesitation in the arena."
That willingness to play hard -- even in light of what Hill was coming back from -- has impressed Gaston.
"That's the only way he knows how to go," Gaston said with a smile. "He goes hard. He reminds me a little bit of Robbie [Alomar] playing second base. He plays hard -- he plays really hard."
Over the first four games of the regular season, Hill went 4-for-16 in the batter's box with a double, two home runs and six RBIs in a series win over Detroit. It was a great start to the season for Hill, and a good way for him to quickly show Blue Jays fans that he is indeed recovered.
Typical of Hill, though, he wasn't satisfied.
"It's always nice walking away with a win in your first series -- the home opener ," he said. "I swung the bat OK, but there's always room for improvement."
Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
